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Opening Weekend Recap · The 3-0 Take

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Three O Take, where we talk
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all things Major League Baseball.
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Here's Kyle Corwin and Nate Reyes.
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It all starts right now. Welcome back to the Three O Take
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presented by Schnuck Cedar this episode 6.
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O. One, I'll be your host, Kyle
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Korn. I'm here with my Co host Nate
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Reyes. Nate.
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KCJB how are we? I have a thought that maybe we
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should reach back out to our Nationals guy and see if we can
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rewrite that intro script for him to say featuring JB in the
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corner. How sick would that be?
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He might. I don't even know if he would
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Remember Me even reaching out the first time.
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He's like, I don't know. It's like 5 or 6 years old,
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isn't? It we've had this pod intro
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since, I want to say 19. It's been a minute.
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Maybe we can try it. We can try another PA announcer
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and see if anyone else. Is I mean, but the but his call
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is so iconic. His call is great.
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That's the one I don't for. For those of you that have been
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to National John Sterling, that's what I'll do.
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No, absolutely. Now what did I do wrong?
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No, for those of you that have been to a Nationals game, that's
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true. For those of you that have been
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to a Nationals game, that's his, that's his call to get things
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started. He says it all start after he
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runs the line UPS. He goes.
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It all starts right now and does the same exact thing he does on
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our pod. So little, little baseball
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nugget there. Speaking, Speaking of PA
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announcers, I'm just going to, I'm, I think I'm just going to
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RIP real quick. Look, no disrespect.
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This isn't a sexist thing. Oh boy.
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Well, let's move on. PA announcer is just not good
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that that wasn't good. That Wednesday night game, like
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the opening night, she just wasn't.
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That wasn't, but that was Netflix.
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I don't know. That's the Giants PA announcer.
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I'm pretty sure that's, I'm pretty sure it's a chick.
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She just doesn't get me fired up.
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I just, I'm not fired up with it, you know?
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So we're starting off hot. That's yeah, yeah.
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Yep, Yep, yeah. It's not a look.
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Speaking of no, no chick, no, OK.
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Just be. Just be more exciting.
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That's that. OK, I'm going to put an end to
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this. I'm going to put an end to this
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real quick, just so that real quick we don't get, we don't get
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killed. Cancelled.
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Can I Speaking of starting hot, we're I, I wanted to start hot
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with Caroline McArdle, OK. Carolyn, he's.
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Calling out names. There's also Rennell, Brooks,
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Moon. I don't know who, which one is
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who Google AI, says Carolyn. Carolyn, just just get a little
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more. Just get a little better.
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Should we start there? Opening night.
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Netflix opening night. No, for like the last five
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minutes I've been trying to start with our new idea, but you
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just wanted to jump right off the rim and be like, hey, so
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this woman sucks. You think maybe we should end
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with that announcement? OK.
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Then I'll end with the announcement.
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Yeah. Tease it.
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Tease it. Well, there's a new idea coming.
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There's your tease. I'm not going to lie.
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You got me. I'm all out of sorts right now.
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Good. Yeah.
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Let's start with opening night. Really.
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We can start more specifically even with what I think everybody
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is talking about regarding opening night.
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And that is the golden sombrero on behalf of.
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You're so annoying, Aaron Judge. So let's start there.
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Nate, what happened? I mean, I mean, coming off of
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just an unbelievable performance in the WBC final where he struck
4:14
out immediately after Bryce Harper's game tying Homer, by
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the way, OK, what? I mean, I, I thought he was
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going to just keep that, that excellent performance rolling
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right into the season and totally, I mean, four KS to
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start the season. Totally, totally.
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What happened? Really liked the that like
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American flag smoke thing that happened in right field.
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Thing was, you see that massive I was.
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Sick. I don't know how I pulled that
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off I. Saw a lot of drones.
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What was? How does that?
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How does that happen? I think it was, wasn't it?
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I don't know. Self destructing drones like
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super sick. They all lined up and just said
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this is it self destruct. Yeah, I've never, I don't think
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I've ever seen anything like that before those Nito.
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Some would say torpedo. I saw a lot of picture, photo of
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the year candidates from that, from that particular event.
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Part of the year. Yeah, just like different angles
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of that event of the of the American flag thing look pretty
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sick. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I I don't
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know. I mean, I'm just, I'm out on
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opening anything but opening day, like stop doing other
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stuff. Just let opening day be opening
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day. Like why do we have to recreate
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the wheel here? Like, and it's fine to give like
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I understand maybe opening night, literally the day of
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opening day. That's what I'm saying.
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That game, like, that's fine. I don't think there's anything
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wrong with that. Give me the prime time game or
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like the prime time slot on opening day.
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And that's literally opening night, because it's the night of
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opening day. How much more simple can we make
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it? Yeah, and to all the people, by
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the way, the absolute boot licking that's going on on
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behalf of these, these people defending the the multiple
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platforms required to watch a baseball in 2026.
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The amount of people that are just like, well, most of you,
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like you should have most of these platforms already.
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So it shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience.
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I'm like, I don't, it doesn't matter if I have these or not.
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For the people that don't have these platforms, they have to go
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get them in order. Mariners fans had to get had to
6:37
have, what was it three separate platforms to watch 3 of the
6:41
team's first four games or something like that.
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That's insane. And so all the people that are
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just like, well, if you don't have Netflix, that's your
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problem. It's like, no, I should be able
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to turn on my TV and, and the first game of the Major League
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season, whether or not I'm a fan of either team should be
6:57
available to me. I also.
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I don't want the Yankees on that stuff anymore.
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So it's it just brings more hate.
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It just brings more unnecessary hate.
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Like I don't I don't want that anymore because then everyone in
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the comments that doesn't like either of those teams are like
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commerce. It's the Yankees.
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It's like shut up. I don't just go opening day.
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I want one day. No games before.
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You mean you don't want you don't want the Yankees dancing
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on top of taxis and stuff like that that doesn't get you fired
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up? Yeah, it was a lot.
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That was a lot of extra stuff. There's a cable car outside of
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the freaking Giants dugout, dude.
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How'd they get that thing in and out of there?
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Who knows? Man, that's crazy.
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I'm like, what is this fanfare? Also like torn ACL stepping out
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of a cable car as you're entering your announcement.
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Like imagine if what would have happened there like that.
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Let's just relax dude. Like, I don't know, it's
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whatever. Did Netflix buffer for anybody?
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I don't, I don't remember seeing anything.
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I think it buffered for a second for me like very early before
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first pitch, but that was it. We were expecting it to crash.
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I have a hot take on that stuff. Listen, you want to do the crazy
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intros to Opening day, specifically the LA Dodgers
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driving Freddie and and help me out with his name.
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Oh. Why can't I think?
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Was that Will Ferrell? No the you.
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Talking about the. Car on the field, the shortstop.
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He plays part time why can't I think of his name?
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You're. Talking about Mookie Betts.
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Yes, Mickie Rowe, they like, they drove onto the like they
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drove them on in a in a limo like a parade, with each of them
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having a World Series trophy. Wasn't it Will?
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I think Will Ferrell was. Or was that last year?
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Or he might have been, I don't know.
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If I don't know who is driving, you might be right on that.
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Either way, it, it Miggy Rowe and, and Freddie Freeman got out
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of the car with the, with the trophies and set them on tables.
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And it, it was just a lot. And there were so many things
9:14
that were like, I mean, the Netflix one started like 15
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minutes late. Like the first pitch was 15
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minutes late. And it's like, Hey, listen, you
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do whatever you want. Do do I, I just, I'm tired of
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watching this stuff on TV. Do your pregame, go into the
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game, show me like 30 seconds of pregame and then let's get the
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pitch. Like I'm just, I don't need to
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see that stuff. It's great for the people in the
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stands, but it's not the same. Watch it on TV.
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You're like, really, what are we doing?
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If you're there, it might feel cool because you're there.
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Terrible. I don't just screaming into the
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microphone. I don't.
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I don't know who he is, baseball, to be honest with you.
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I don't what is he? Is he wrestling?
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He's a comedian that just takes his shirt off and he's fat like
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that. Oh, that guy, Yeah.
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He's not very funny. No, it's.
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Crazy he's got a. Show on Netflix.
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So I think that was the connection.
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Oh yeah, that reminds me, did you guys know that game was on
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Netflix by the way? Because they didn't mention it
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at all. Like I it was insane how much
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how lacking the the information about what platform that game
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was on. It was just crazy.
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No. But anyway, sorry, getting those
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negativity out of the way now because you knew it was coming.
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I have one more if you're, if you're done, sure, yeah.
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No, I'm open. I'm OK.
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I'm I'm open. To it, one more negative was the
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oh, you got another negative. I had a yeah, yeah, I had a you
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go, you. No, they're doing so much with
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this, with the, with the fanfare and the lights and the this and
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the that. We soon, I'm convinced we will
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soon have a, a secondary Jumbotron that hovers above the
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stadium with like the dancing fruits for the kids that have to
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have like 2 visuals going on in order to focus on one thing.
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You know what I'm talking about? Like, you know, there's Tik Toks
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where there the, the screen split in half and there's like
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dancing fruits and then the the actual video beneath it.
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As we watch Big Inning with four games going.
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That's what. But at least that's bad.
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At least that's baseball. But we're we're like bastardize
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in baseball to appease to these kids with attention spans of 2
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1/2 seconds. Anyway, that's.
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That's all. Or adults with or.
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Adults with yeah, yeah, yeah, more so adults, yeah.
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For it's not, not a it's not, it's not a take on the kids.
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You're right. It's it's more the adults.
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My last negative well, 2222 negative things.
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I didn't watch too much of the pregame stuff.
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I thought it was very awkward and kind of choppy.
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They brought in the chick from ESPN that I think basically only
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covers basketball. I've never seen her talk
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baseball at all. And then like Barry Bonds, just
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the ego couldn't fit in the screen.
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I think that was awkward. And then the no score bug during
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the jazz inning when he was getting interviewed and they had
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the split screen, no score, no nothing.
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The whole time he was being interviewed.
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You didn't know the count you you saw nothing.
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So I'm out on Netflix. That's it.
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That's it. Outside of that welcome.
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It's opening day. You know, we we did it guys.
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Opening weekend. Welcome.
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The season's here. One more negative.
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Episode of the season. One more negative you actually,
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that's actually a great transition.
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You brought it. You bring up opening day.
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I say it every year, I'll say it again, and I don't care that the
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argument is well re nuts. You have to count for re nuts.
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The whole day off after opening day is just insane like.
12:45
Terrible. What are, I mean, it's already
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bad enough that we're not all just playing on the same day to
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start the season. On top of that, you've just got
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teams that aren't playing the next day or on opening day or or
12:57
whatever day it is. I don't know.
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There's, there's teams that aren't playing today, Sunday,
13:00
because they've already played through.
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It's, it's, it's a mess. And the response is, well, you
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got to account for a potential rain out.
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You run the risk of a rain out all season.
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If it rained, if it rains opening day, you play the next
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day. If it rains opening day and the
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day after that, then you your opening day is Sunday.
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And then you figure out another way to account for the games
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later in the season. It's not that hard.
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Yeah. Like you build in these buffer
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days. We saw a rain out the opening
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weekend. I don't remember.
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I mean, half these games are in domes, half these games are in
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locations of the country. They do that intentionally to to
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reduce the chances of rain train.
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I don't know anyway. Did they not do that good
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enough? I'd say because there have been
13:44
some questionable decisions on, you know, I feel like the New
13:49
York Mets hosting an opening series probably isn't the
13:54
smartest move. I mean, there's probably,
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there's probably teams that should just be at home, you know
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what I mean? And and you figure out the
14:04
schedule to do that, but I don't know.
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Speaking of which, did I hear correctly that the Pirates
14:10
haven't hosted an opening day game in like 7 years or
14:14
something? Like they haven't had an A home
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opener to start the season in seven years.
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It's probably at least been that long.
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Might be. 10 years, I get what we were just talking about like
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warm weather, that kind of stuff, but like.
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Well, and that's the argument that's always made.
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One of the most iconic fields in baseball.
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It's strange. That's that's one of the
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arguments that's made. And then, and then there's the
14:35
well wait, they started. To go further north to New York,
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Yeah, yeah, stupid. So, and interestingly, not far
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away from Cincinnati. We love baseball guys, and and.
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Yeah. I swear, swear, we're fans.
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Not far away from Cincinnati and obviously I have a lot of
14:52
friends who are, who are Reds fans and I am in that area of
14:55
the of the country. And I will say that to to
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piggyback off opening night, there is a large group of people
15:04
called Cincinnati Reds fans who will consistently tell you that
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the season does not start until the Reds throw the first pitch.
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They're mad every year when someone starts before the Reds,
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it's. Stupid.
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I that's such a simple, easy, unique tradition that we could
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carry that no other sport really cares about is like how like
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that's such an old school tradition that we could honor
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and keep it that like, I don't know, whatever.
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And one last negative. No, no, no, one last thing the
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the, the whole, the whole home opener thing being like that
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team's opening day. But it's like a week after
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opening day that I'm sorry, that just doesn't count.
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Like you, you see the, you see the opening day banner still on,
15:57
like the the Red Sox, for example, won't play their home
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opener until this Friday. I'm like, no, it's, it's done it
16:03
we're we're past. It's, it's over the whole
16:05
opening day. No, I don't care That's your
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first game at home. It's it's done and I'm sorry,
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I'll I'll probably get a lot of hate for that take, but it's
16:12
just it it it loses its charm a little bit to to say the opening
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day is a week plus some I think some cases it's even beyond a
16:20
week. I'm like, no, we're it's
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basically June now, so. Also, don't love interleague
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play for opening day. I don't hate it.
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I have to have it. I.
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Why? Because you you have 15 teams in
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each, somebody has to play it. Yeah, there's that Nate.
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Math I. Guess.
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Well, not if you're. I don't know, I.
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Mean well, they used to be 16 and 14, right?
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And so then they didn't have to have it, but now it has to
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happen every day of the year. Give me an expansion.
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Yeah, there you go. We, we can do that.
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We get the expansion on both sides, then we don't have to
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have it anymore. I, I Kyle, just for the
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listeners who will will disagree with you, I will throw a
17:02
counterpoint on the on the home opener.
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While it is still painted opening day on the field, it is
17:09
opening day for the stadium. So I guess I'll give him a pass.
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I understand what you're saying, but there is still something
17:15
very special about your home opener for specifically for the
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locals. And I will say for us, like we
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haven't missed the home opener in quite a while, like 12 years,
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you know, I mean, that we've been going to it and it is kind
17:29
of still a really special day for you to open it at home.
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No, And I totally get that. And I want that for like, I want
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nothing more than for every fan base to experience their home
17:42
opener, whether it's on opening day or the next series.
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I want every fan base to experience that within the first
17:49
two series of the season. So if you start on the road, I
17:52
feel like it has to be written into Major League Baseball law
17:56
that your next series is at home because making the, and I get
17:59
it, travel logistics and all that, But like, there we have
18:02
computers for this. Make it work.
18:04
They don't do, they don't make these schedules by hand anymore
18:06
like that couple used to do for 25 plus years.
18:09
Yeah, just make it so that every team can experience a home
18:12
opener, the if not opening weekend, the next series.
18:16
Because otherwise you're making these teams wait a week and it,
18:18
like I said, it loses its charm. And that's my take.
18:21
Also Friday not having not having day games.
18:24
That has to change. They backlogged all of the
18:27
Friday starts. Hate that.
18:30
Yep, give me make it all day. So that that was another thing.
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So First off for the home openers, I mean, they're going
18:38
to want to do it on a, on a weekend.
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The opening series, they, you know, you would feel slighted if
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your opening series was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you know
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what I'm saying? That's why they wait a week.
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So everybody gets their, their, their.
18:51
Sell out opportunity. Their home opener.
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Whether it's the the actual opening day or the next week,
18:56
they still get their. JB, just let me be irrational.
18:59
Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Come on, stop.
19:02
Stop hitting me with stuff that makes.
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Well, I don't, I don't listen. You're an influential guy.
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I don't want somebody to change the rules and then we have to go
19:08
to a game on a Monday. You know what?
19:12
I would do it. Oh, I would.
19:14
Go Over is another home run. Well, counterpoint to your
19:17
counterpoint. If.
19:19
If your home opener in theory was on a Monday of a we're not.
19:24
We're not even talking about like any of our teams, just any
19:26
general team, general team that has it has their home opener on
19:30
a Monday. Would it still not be mostly
19:35
full of people just being like, screw this, I'm taking off work.
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People take off work on a Thursday on a Thursday for
19:41
opening day. What's different about a Monday?
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Make it a long weekend. In fact, I would argue that
19:46
makes more sense to take the Monday off because that way you
19:49
just roll it into a long like you're you, you, you extend your
19:52
weekend as opposed to taking off Thursday and then be like, I'm
19:55
going back to work Friday. That's just me.
19:56
That's my take anyway. Let's talk about.
20:01
Let's talk about. Did we already bring it up?
20:04
Mets, Pirates, Can we talk? We start off the top here, this
20:08
Paul Skeens outing. JB what happened?
20:11
There is probably not a worst nightmare scenario then what
20:20
happened for Paul Skeens on Opening Day between between him
20:27
really having the worst start of his career and then behind him,
20:36
O'Neill Cruz in center field not helping things.
20:39
Between the two of those things, he doesn't get out of the first
20:42
inning. He could get out of the first
20:44
inning if, if you know, one or two of those plays are made by
20:48
Cruz. He's still going to, he's still
20:49
going to give up two or three runs.
20:51
But just absolute nightmare scenario for a team and a fan
20:58
base who was excited going into the season.
21:04
Yeah, well, that's right away. It's a real shame because I've,
21:08
I've been told apparently that my take for Cy Young going to
21:14
Paul Skeens has really aged well, quote UN quote.
21:18
And I thought, I thought, man, that's a real shame that we're
21:22
handing out to Cy Young this this coming Monday, because I
21:26
really had high hopes for Paul Skeans.
21:28
But I guess that's out the window now is what I'm being
21:31
told. After less than a full inning.
21:34
Just insane. What is his ER?
21:36
What does that ERA come out to, by the way?
21:40
It only raised his career ERAI think to a 210.
21:45
But yeah, I'm not. Well, here's the other thing I
21:48
I'm he got hit with that was all earned runs, correct?
21:52
Because O'Neill Cruz. I don't even think he touched
21:54
the ball on either. No, it was.
21:57
It was a misjudge on the line, drive straight at the center
22:00
fielder. I mean, granted, it's a tough
22:02
play. The wind was brutal.
22:03
I'll give him that. The wind was brutal.
22:04
But you know, the first one is, like I said, it's a tough play.
22:08
But your average major leaguer should at least not have the
22:14
first step in right? And then it burns him over his
22:18
head. So I teach him that.
22:19
In Little League. Right.
22:21
And well, to be fair, though he's in his second full season
22:25
of playing center field, he's still learning some things.
22:28
To me it wasn't about, it's not about your first step being back
22:32
as much as is Like he was not reading the ball off the bat at
22:35
all. He also doesn't seem to be
22:38
interested in wearing sunglasses.
22:39
Yeah. And you know, that's one thing.
22:41
There are guys who don't like sunglasses and don't wear them.
22:45
If if the ball goes directly in the sun, it doesn't matter if
22:49
you're wearing sunglasses, you don't see the ball.
22:53
It just, you have to learn how to find it when it comes out of
22:57
the sun, right. But either way, the the first
23:00
ball is, it's a, it's a misread. It goes over his head.
23:06
It's no, he's not near it. He's not near it when the ball
23:09
lands. The second is the sun ball.
23:12
That's the one that he lost in the sun.
23:14
And you can't call that an error.
23:16
It's just never been an error. It never will be.
23:18
And if you you know, you can talk about sunglasses and I've
23:21
heard to take that, you know, people did their sunglasses
23:24
weren't even a thing. And people when people play day
23:26
games all the time and you learned how to catch the ball,
23:29
they probably also lost a lot of balls in the sun.
23:31
I think it's ridiculous to think that they didn't.
23:33
So I you know what I mean. I.
23:36
I mean, yeah. I'm not making excuses for a
23:38
Major League center fielder, but that's what I'm saying.
23:41
Counterpoint, they didn't have sunglasses.
23:44
That's true. They also didn't used to have
23:45
car seats for infants, but they came along with those and we
23:48
just started using them because they, they made things better,
23:52
right? I, I, I feel like after the
23:54
first instance where you sort of lose sight of the ball and you
23:57
misstep and all that and maybe you just consider just throwing
24:01
some on knowing that the sun probably isn't going to change
24:04
over the course of the game all that much.
24:07
And he goes back out there or he stays out there, right.
24:09
Because it was consecutive plays and it.
24:12
Was back-to-back. Plays right.
24:13
So it's like I forgot that that but but he didn't.
24:17
But he didn't put sunglasses on after that.
24:20
He still played the rest of the game without Sun, Which?
24:22
Is kind of my kind of my point. Like, at what point do you just
24:25
arrive at the conclusion that maybe we should try something a
24:28
little different? And I do know, and I've played
24:30
with some, I've played with some guys like that.
24:33
There are some people who just cannot or will not wear
24:36
sunglasses. No, I.
24:37
Hear you as well. I totally get it, but.
24:40
Like I don't know if that's his case.
24:41
Does, I mean what's the alternative though?
24:43
Just continue to miss fly balls? I don't know.
24:46
Right. No.
24:47
And that's, well, that's that's what I'm saying, Like, you know,
24:50
I just saw a fly ball in one of these games where the player
24:52
literally was shielding the sun with their right hand and caught
24:55
the ball with their left. So like, there's still other
24:58
ways to do it. So long as the ball's not in the
25:01
sun. If the ball's in the sun and
25:03
you're blocking the sun with your hand, you can't see the
25:05
ball either. So if it's in the sun, there's
25:08
nothing you can do. But it's just a matter of There
25:13
are plenty of ways to catch a fly ball when the sun's in your
25:19
eyes. Do Pirates fans hate the WBC
25:21
now? Most of them did before this,
25:25
but it's it doesn't that just doesn't play.
25:29
It just doesn't matter. OK, Just curious to be honest
25:32
with you. Like chatter?
25:33
So dumb chatter of the streets of Pittsburgh.
25:35
Yeah, To be honest though, like it even in even in his WBC
25:39
starts. I mean, I mean, you think about
25:43
Bobby Witt bailing him out with the diving play that he made,
25:46
like he wasn't real sharp then either.
25:49
We haven't really seen a vintage, if you can call it
25:54
vintage. It's been a year and a half, but
25:57
a vintage Paul Skein start yet. I don't feel like he's just all
26:00
the way there yet and so. I mean the guy won a Cy Young
26:05
though, what are we talking about?
26:06
This year, I mean this year, yeah.
26:08
Oh, this? Year, yeah, yeah, yeah, like
26:09
what we saw last year in the. Year before, yeah, he's not
26:12
even. I thought, no, no, you said a
26:14
year and a half and I'm like, I don't think we've seen.
26:16
Him well, I meant a year and a half.
26:18
Can you call it vintage if it's only been a year and a half?
26:20
That's what I meant. That's but no, like we just
26:22
haven't this year. We haven't seen that guy yet.
26:26
Where and and he gets away with it.
26:28
Oh my God, my God, He gets away with it because the stuff is
26:32
what it is and and he's got so many different pitches that he's
26:35
throwing. He gets away with it, but it's
26:36
not, it's not quite been what you're used to watching.
26:41
Yeah. Speaking of not used to
26:44
watching, we haven't been used to watching a lot of these young
26:47
bucks that made their debuts this weekend, including
26:51
including JJ Weatherholt. Can we start there?
26:55
We had we had some very noteworthy debuts and we'll
27:01
start with JJ Weatherholt first hit first career home run walk
27:07
off in Game 2. This kid, I mean, I know it's
27:09
early. I know, super small, small
27:12
sample size, but this kid seems like like the real deal.
27:15
Seems like he's going to fit in real nice in Saint Louis.
27:20
Yeah, I snagged him in fantasy before before opening day.
27:26
Didn't get drafted, which is going to be fun to maybe use him
27:30
as one of my keepers. Yeah.
27:31
Already got a knock swipe, scored a couple runs.
27:36
I mean, I, why not? What is it?
27:40
There's nothing else going on in Saint Louis, You know what I
27:42
mean? Like, let these guys get their
27:45
their ABS, let them settle in and immediately stepping in.
27:48
But the fact that you see so many of these, like, highly
27:52
touted prospects popping off this weekend is awesome.
27:56
And they brought up a good point.
27:57
I don't remember what broadcast I was watching, but it was like,
28:01
it makes you wonder if we're witnessing already, like kind of
28:07
a shift out of the, you know, the three outcome ball and more
28:11
into an overall better approach from hitters with all of these
28:16
young guys immediately stepping in.
28:17
And you're seeing like, much better bat ball skills and then
28:21
of the zone. Yeah, like that kind of style of
28:25
baseball may be starting to come back already.
28:27
I don't want to like overreact and say that, but all of these
28:33
guys are young, all of them debuted and the lot of them look
28:37
really successful in that style of play.
28:40
I feel like I feel like it's within the realm of possibility
28:44
to continue the trend towards prioritizing lifting the ball as
28:50
as the league seems to do now and it's less about hard, hard
28:53
contact on the ground, which I guess I'm fine with.
28:55
Like if you if you still want to elevate, so be it, But I think
28:59
you can simultaneously prioritize like you were saying
29:03
they bat to ball skills. I could you can I feel like you
29:06
can do both. It doesn't have to be like big
29:08
fly or or big K like it it you. I feel like you can still
29:13
prioritize both And if we're seeing more of this bat to ball
29:18
skill develop come back into focus, I feel like you're going
29:22
to start seeing a lot more extra base than your gap.
29:26
You're seeing a lot of these names like hit high up in the
29:28
lineup too to start the year, you know, like immediately being
29:31
tossed into that top of the lineup.
29:33
But one thing to really consider is we talked about, you know,
29:37
the whole ABS stuff and we'll get into more of that later.
29:40
But with the strike zone actually being changed and the
29:43
strike zone moving back, that the command of the top of the
29:48
zone has now come back further, which means that ball is
29:51
naturally falling. So the strike zone has been
29:55
lowered for all intents and purposes for hitters.
29:58
And that is going to allow that that hitter to have a little bit
30:02
more control of the barrel and maybe not have to, you know,
30:06
worry about the top of the zone as much as they used to.
30:09
So that is something to consider as well.
30:12
I think it really does that. If we don't think there's a
30:14
ripple effect there, you're crazy.
30:17
That's going to change how guys are attacking the zone.
30:19
Speaking of attacking the zone, no Carson.
30:24
McDonnell 2 Oh yeah dude, so many names.
30:27
Carson Binge Murakami, J BS guy De Lauder.
30:32
I mean, guys. Moto just hit 1 today.
30:35
Guys. Just a second.
30:37
Going off, man. Immediately, normally we we see
30:43
hitters being the ones that are like slow to adjust.
30:47
It's normally the pitchers that are ahead of hitters for the
30:49
first couple weeks of of the season.
30:54
We've seen a couple of solid starts, but I think it's more
30:57
hitter heavy right now. And you're to your point about
31:00
the WBC real quick, will your Bray, you just hit another
31:03
Homer. I know Judge Judge has already
31:04
got to like we're seeing. That's why I don't buy the whole
31:07
I hate the WBC. Like I don't buy it at all.
31:11
But yeah, some of these, some of these debuts, man, have been fun
31:14
to see. JBI know you.
31:15
I mentioned the Lauder you've been on, you've been on this kid
31:18
for 2-3 years at this point. Let the let the receipts RIP,
31:24
man. Tell us.
31:25
Tell us what what excites you about the Lauder?
31:27
I mean, he got guys already got 3 homers in four career games. 4
31:33
homers in three career games. 4 homers in three career games?
31:38
That is correct, joining Trevor Story as the second player to
31:44
have 4 homers in his first three games.
31:48
Yeah, I saw him play, actually saw his AAA debut in 2024 and I,
31:55
I don't remember the specifics there that of I know I made a
32:02
comment about his arm. I saw him the next year hit an
32:07
absolute nuke and throw out a guy from or maybe that was the
32:11
year I saw him throw out a guy trying to get a triple.
32:15
I mean it just like everything I've seen from him, he's he's
32:17
massive. And I just remember watching him
32:22
with several guys. I mean that that team had Kyle
32:26
Manzardo, CJ Kefis, like there's a lot of there's actually a lot
32:29
of good hitters coming up right now through the guardian system.
32:34
But I just remember watching him saying like that he's the best
32:37
player on this field right now and looking him up and saying
32:41
like, where'd this guy come from?
32:43
So I really like him. Going back to my comment earlier
32:48
about him, like some of these guys hitting higher in the
32:50
lineup there, he's hitting too. He's hitting front of Jay Ram.
32:53
Yeah, like he's, he's going to see some pitches.
32:57
And he's one of the interesting guys who he made his Major
33:00
League debut in the postseason last year.
33:03
And this is his regular season debut, like his actual MOP
33:07
debut, but he debuted in the postseason.
33:10
So he's dealt with some injuries in his career, but when he's on
33:14
the field he looks he looks really good.
33:16
Major League Baseball is getting younger and younger and I think
33:20
you're going to see I feel like we've had this conversation
33:24
before, but you're going to start seeing these guys become
33:29
more of a household name sooner and it will be less of a well,
33:35
there's coming up for their cup of coffee.
33:36
There's coming up to get their feet wet kind of situ kind of
33:39
deal. Like these guys are going to be
33:42
legit very, very early on and that didn't necessarily used to
33:46
be the case. So, you know, for the sake of
33:48
baseball, for the sake of more of these players, more of these
33:54
teams having more to offer from a household name point of view
34:00
and entertainment point of view, I think that does a lot for the
34:02
younger fans too. Especially look one of the guys
34:07
here being big into cards, like kids are big into cards and that
34:11
holds a lot of values. When you get some of these
34:13
prospects that maybe aren't household names yet, right?
34:17
And these kids are getting to watch them debut and they pop
34:20
off. It's like, you know, that just a
34:22
whole another element to it. Yeah, because all.
34:24
Those cards are super valuable, right?
34:26
So. Well, the, I mean, that's the
34:28
that's the thing too. And that's, that was always the,
34:30
I don't want to say the problem, but that was how the Major
34:33
League Baseball draft always differed from this, the drafts
34:36
of other teams where it's like, you'll see a you'll see a name.
34:39
It's like, well, it's going to be what, five years before we
34:41
really start hearing this name on a regular basis or whatever
34:44
It may be some, some sooner, but now, I mean, the, the turn
34:49
around time for some of these kids, man, it's insane.
34:52
And like I said, it's not just, well, they're getting the call
34:55
up, but they're getting the call up and then they're making noise
34:58
doing damage right away. So it's been really cool.
35:01
But you mentioned Ben, too, like seeing the curtain call after
35:05
his first big league home run. That's so sick.
35:07
Love that. Like, that's crazy.
35:09
It's just I think that says everything you need to need to
35:14
know when an entire stadium is like, who is this guy?
35:17
Now they know him. They know him and they see a
35:20
Ding Dong and they're like, yeah, come back out, tip your
35:22
cap. That's cool.
35:24
Question for you guys, because obviously we're kind of also in
35:27
an age where there's so much coverage on everything.
35:30
Social media is crazy. There's, there's a million
35:33
podcasts that are dedicated only to the, the prospects of this
35:38
game and, and all those things. And, and I do you think that
35:41
part of that is the fact that we already know these names like,
35:47
you know what I mean? The the, the number one prospect
35:50
in baseball, we all know who it is almost all the time, right?
35:54
And so we know these guys before they debut.
35:57
And you know, you look back at the 2024 draft, which is
36:01
ridiculous. There was one guy in the top ten
36:06
who was drafted as a high school player.
36:08
The rest of them were all college players and and many of
36:13
them hitters. Oddly enough, the one high
36:16
school players, my guy Connor Griffin, who still has yet to
36:20
debut, but he's the number one prospect in baseball.
36:23
The the 9 before him now come on the 8 before him.
36:27
We're all like out of college. JJ Weatherholt, Cags, Nick
36:32
Kurtz, Charlie Condone, Chase Byrne, Travis, Bazana.
36:35
Like these guys all are like we know them names and you know,
36:41
Condone and Bazana and and Griffin yet to make their
36:44
debuts, but that's a stacked draft class.
36:47
Insane that we know all of those names.
36:51
Yeah, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful thing.
36:54
Mcgonigal out in in San Diego, starting his season 4 for five
37:00
like you see he got. Robbed by the way, of his first
37:02
Jack Jackson Maron by yeah, Jack's Maron was tough.
37:06
Yeah, dude, it's just these names are immediately and again,
37:09
top of the lineup names that are just immediately stepping in.
37:13
Like, yeah, it's cool. It's crazy.
37:17
Notable too, in that 2024 draft? Cam Smith.
37:22
Who's who's up with? Astros.
37:25
Yeah, with the Astros, Carson Benj, you guys already brought
37:28
up Trey Savage also in that first round draft.
37:31
Just an incredible draft class. Where did he come out of, by the
37:34
way? You savage?
37:37
Yeah. East Carolina University.
37:40
Oh, no kidding. OK, didn't know that.
37:42
Tony Romo, I believe. What?
37:44
Yeah, I think so. ECU, yeah.
37:50
Wow, didn't know that. The only name that I think is
37:53
from. Big party school?
37:56
No, there's more. There's really a surprising
38:00
amount of names. Now you got me curious notable
38:03
athletes from ECU there's yeah, there's definitely more.
38:09
Gavin Williams. Give me talking to who I need
38:11
it. Coming up this year while I'm
38:13
looking at baseball players, Chris.
38:14
Johnson Oh Dang, I definitely thought there was more.
38:22
Well, I can give you some baseball players.
38:24
There's a. Reference has has my back here.
38:26
Alec Burleson, Seth Mannis, Connor Norby, Jeff, Jeff
38:32
Hoffman. I'm trying not to go too far
38:36
back here. Trey Savage, Carson Wissenhunt,
38:38
Gavin Williams. So yeah, it's not bad.
38:43
Interesting anyway. We missing any debut names?
38:50
I mean, JB brought this up. It's some of the names.
38:53
New places, new faces, new places.
38:56
Yeah, already kind of making an impact, you know?
38:59
We we missed Justin Crawford on the rookie on the debuts.
39:02
He had two knocks on the debut. Murakami also hit a Homer on the
39:06
debut. Did not know that was Carl.
39:07
I thought you were joking and then I was like, oh wait, this
39:10
is. This is actually real.
39:11
It's actually. It actually is.
39:14
Like how old are we, man? Yeah, I know.
39:17
I have a list here too of of a couple notable ones here.
39:20
Brandon Lau. First game with the Pirates, two
39:22
home runs we have through the the rookies.
39:27
Brandon it, it actually was on the top of the list I'm looking
39:29
at just to be fair. Brandon Donovan got two hits,
39:32
including a Homer in his Mariners debut.
39:34
Ryan O'hearn with a Homer. Joey Weimer, First Nationals
39:37
Game, 3 for three with a Homer. Ryan Helsley got a save in his
39:42
Orioles debut. Tucker doubled.
39:44
Rhys Hoskins 3 for three with a double for Cleveland.
39:48
So there were some good debuts. Like we got to tighten up the
39:51
criteria to be mentioned in the new faces, new places segment.
39:56
I don't know if a double from Tucker is going to get the job
39:58
done, you know, no. Disrespects.
40:01
It was an RBI double. It was still I think it was a go
40:05
ahead or a. Double Zach Fly.
40:11
Pete Alonso publish at O for four with an RV sackle I see.
40:15
Alonso ran in from center field on opening day down the orange
40:19
carpet. Big big day for the guy.
40:21
Big day for the guy. Yeah.
40:25
Speaking of big day, CB Buckner having a having a big day for
40:32
all the wrong reasons. Let's talk out of baseball,
40:34
dude. Let's take let's take a minute
40:37
and talk about our, our, our initial thoughts on the ABS
40:41
system. I'll go ahead and say look, do I
40:48
do I think that the ABS system is going to be an overall good
40:53
thing? Yes, I think it's going to be
40:59
it's going to greatly help with putting umpires egos in check.
41:03
We've, I think we're already seen that specifically with a
41:06
guy like CB Buckner, who you could tell was just visibly
41:10
irritated about being challenged 8 times by the way, over 6
41:15
overturns and in fact consecutive pitches from Eugenio
41:21
Suarez and they were both overturned.
41:25
But I think it's going to be great for that.
41:27
However, I think and I feel like we knew this was coming.
41:33
It's, we saw it initially with when they started putting the K
41:37
zone on the TV and it's only being further amplified by this
41:41
ABS system now is that we are, we are, we now hold these
41:47
umpires to such an insane standard where I'm like, so
41:52
like, how do you miss that? And they show it on the screen,
41:55
They show it on the Jumbotron and it's 2/10 of an inch.
41:59
And I'm like, what do we really expect from these guys?
42:02
Who's actually catching that? And so I like for a guy like CB
42:06
Buckner, where they showed, I saw it was just a list of all
42:11
the calls that were challenged on, on his part or, or during
42:16
the game. He was he called yesterday and
42:19
the the breakdown of of miss distance, it was insane.
42:23
It was like 2/10 of an inch, 3/10 of an inch, 110th of an
42:27
inch. I'm like, yeah, we.
42:29
What's the new strike zone? Yeah.
42:32
So it's like, do I think CB Buckner needs to be out of
42:35
baseball? Yes.
42:36
Do I also think it's insane for us to expect these guys to catch
42:40
pitches that are less than half of an inch out of the zone or in
42:46
the zone depending upon, you know, what side of the ball
42:47
you're on? I'm like that that it just seems
42:49
a little bit excessive. It's a new strike zone.
42:52
It's a moving strike zone which we have not had before.
42:56
It is further back on the plate. It is now a certain percentage
42:59
based on certain height like that is a moving strike zone for
43:03
these, for these umpires. So I think we can definitely
43:06
grant some grace now. Not to mention CB Buckner still
43:10
taking matters into his own hand and calling a strike three check
43:14
swing that should have never been his.
43:16
The. Worst check swing I feel like
43:18
I've seen in years. Horrible.
43:20
So he still found a way to make it about himself.
43:22
But I, I do think we need to, I, I'm kind of annoyed with myself
43:27
because of me watching, you know, the first couple games.
43:30
I'm already like on my couch like, and it's like super
43:34
annoying. So I hate that about myself.
43:37
I think we do need to get rid of the K zone.
43:40
I, I know JB and I, you've been texting of like, I thought it
43:44
was going away. I thought I saw reports that
43:48
broadcasts were removing the strike zone.
43:51
You thought that you had seen the close circle versus the dot
43:56
that being changed. I've seen it all over the place.
43:59
I've seen K zones disappear in the middle of innings.
44:02
I've seen 1/2 inning not have it other half innings having it.
44:06
I've seen I do like the was it the Cardinals?
44:12
I don't remember that just had the the four corners and not the
44:16
full box, which I I kind of liked.
44:20
Happy, happy medium. I don't.
44:21
Remember. Yeah.
44:22
I would like to not see it at all.
44:24
I don't want it there at all. I don't want it to look like I'm
44:27
playing a video game. They're.
44:28
Talking about not doing it to try and kind of limit whatever
44:34
cheating potential there could be which.
44:36
That's it. Let's be honest, I don't know
44:38
how there could at all possibly be cheating if it's well, I
44:42
mean, you got against, it's immediate.
44:44
You don't you're not allowed to refer to the dugout.
44:46
I don't, I don't know how there'd be any cheating, but.
44:49
My only thought on that is the the game feeds that you see in
44:53
the stadium, it's like hard, it's hard wired.
44:55
So you're not you're not getting it with that same sort of delay.
44:57
I don't know if that changes anything, but that was my only
45:00
thought. I did have a take however on
45:03
going back to the CB Buckner game that I think is is is
45:07
really leading the charge as it relates to this ABS conversation
45:11
this weekend. I feel like coaches should be
45:17
able to challenge ejections that stem from a missed challenge
45:22
call. Example the Trevor Story debacle
45:29
where CB Buckner takes it into his own hands, doesn't appeal,
45:35
calls him out when it was a clear check swing Alex Korra
45:39
comes out to get ejected and then keeps.
45:43
Keeps Trevor Story in the game. Keep Trevor score in the game.
45:46
Alex Score gets tossed and then we see him.
45:50
We see immediately that it was a horrendous call.
45:54
They then should be able to challenge that ejection.
45:59
Keep allowing Core to stay into the game.
46:01
I think check swings, check swings should be challengeable
46:04
by the way. So I, I heard that apparently
46:07
that they're get, they're trying that out in the, in the lower
46:10
systems this season. I don't know if it was in the
46:14
minors or if it was in like the Atlantic League or whatever,
46:16
but. Yeah.
46:17
Anyway, what? You're saying he?
46:20
And, and they should be able to challenge that.
46:21
And if it turns out that CB Buckner missed the call, Core
46:24
gets to stay in the game. CB Buckner, see you hit the
46:27
showers and then you bring in you bring in an umpire that's
46:31
that's sitting in reserve behind behind the home plate and put
46:36
him in the game. That's only that sounds only
46:38
fair. But last point on that to your
46:41
on a more serious note, Nate, I think what you've been preaching
46:43
for years at this point is actually something that needs to
46:46
happen. And it's that umpires need to
46:48
have some sort of immediate media availability after games
46:52
to to be able to answer for things like this.
46:54
Because this is just this is horrendous.
46:56
And I think this whole ABS system is really bringing to
46:58
light again, like we talked about the egos that exist.
47:03
I, it's not just the accountability side of things,
47:06
but it's also like you can't. I, I would like to see a umpire
47:09
defend and have some of the takes that we've said, right?
47:12
Like it is a new strike zone. Like I want an umpire to be able
47:15
to step in front of a camera in front of reporters and kind of
47:18
defend himself and and his fellow umpires.
47:21
I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
47:23
If we're only having replays, we're only getting the
47:26
perspective of broadcast broadcasters or post game
47:30
interviews from players or managers.
47:32
Like it's all basically anti umpire.
47:36
And I think that it does two things.
47:39
It has that accountability, but it also allows them to have a
47:42
voice. And it's very odd to me that you
47:44
don't really see it at all. And it's it's just this final
47:48
say it is what it is and I walk off kind of thing.
47:52
But yeah, I mean, what you were saying earlier, like the these
47:56
are so, so small misses. And I know that we have a very
48:02
specific game, but like we have a little bit of grace.
48:07
I think it's just the attitude of CB Buckner and the ego that
48:10
he's had over the years that have.
48:13
It's just funny to me that he got hit pretty hard.
48:18
I think that's what I like about it because now we can we have
48:21
the ability to write the the missed call.
48:26
Yeah, yeah. And big moments have like have
48:29
stemmed from it. You know, big ball 4 calls,
48:32
specifically that Red Sox and and Reds game where I think it
48:36
was late, I think it was in the 9th where it was a strike three
48:39
call, ended up being ball 4. Then they get a knock to to add
48:43
a couple runs in the top of the ninth.
48:44
I think that's kind of the series of events that happened.
48:47
I mean, Judge overturned a call and hit an hit a Homer that he
48:50
may be. So I mean that we've already
48:52
seen it. We're already seeing how it
48:53
impacts individual at bats. Big, big moments.
48:57
Big time. Maybe not a.
48:58
Big moment for him. He doesn't really have big
49:00
moments, but you know what I mean?
49:01
Points, sure. Did you see the the Brewers
49:04
tried to improve the the ability to be accurate with the with the
49:12
challenges in spring training that lasted one game in MLB
49:15
Bandit. They had a green card, They ran
49:18
all the analytics of every single count, every inning, how
49:22
many outs there were. And they basically said that
49:25
they've made an A decision based on analytics and run expectancy
49:31
of whether or not their hitters were allowed to challenge
49:36
regardless of the call. They said if you are 100% sure
49:39
it's a ball, you challenge. If you're even 90%, the only
49:44
time you can challenge is if they had that green card sitting
49:47
on the on the dugout post. And they're like, no, you're not
49:52
supposed to influence their decision. 100% I'm glad that
49:56
well. You're already seeing again, not
49:58
to hyper fixated on this Red Sox Red Series, but they were, I was
50:01
watching the game yesterday and they were talking about it how
50:04
I, I, I'm pretty sure it was the Reds.
50:06
They they blew the challenges early and they missed out later
50:13
in the game, which we knew this that would be an element to this
50:15
is like the timing. Who's able to use it.
50:17
Certain guys have just better, better awareness of the zone,
50:21
things like that. And so you're, you're starting
50:23
to already see how the strategy of, of those types of decisions
50:27
impacts the team and ultimately the game.
50:29
Stupid question maybe? Stupid question.
50:31
They don't gain one in extras do they?
50:35
Similar to the other challenge where now that you're in extras,
50:39
you. That I don't know.
50:40
They I know that the I believe that the the the rule is that
50:45
everyone has one. In.
50:48
In extra innings. Now if you if you preserved your
50:51
two, then you would still have two, but you at least have one
50:55
at the beginning of every of every X training.
51:01
Who was it? Also looking at the nuance of
51:04
all this? Who was it that went to appeal
51:08
but made a motion with his? Bat that was spring training was
51:13
that OK? Was that spring training where
51:15
he it was a strike three call. I don't remember who was
51:18
hitting, it was a lefty, but he he gets rung up and he like kind
51:24
of like flips his bat where you see some guys do and they'll
51:26
catch it again. And then he went to tap his head
51:28
and the umpire was like, no. That's that's crazy.
51:31
Like I so you, you literally have to go straight to it, which
51:35
is just, that's another layer to all this, which I think is
51:38
interesting. Do you feel like I know that
51:40
there are a lot of? There's that appeal going on
51:42
right now. Do you feel like there were
51:45
maybe it was just the first couple games and now it's just
51:47
like full speed ahead, but like it felt kind of skittish at
51:52
first, like some, a lot of players were like I'm not ready
51:56
to do it. It I, I, I like this extra
51:59
element. I really do.
52:00
I like that it's there's some strategy involved of maybe who's
52:04
allowed to who's not at what point in the game.
52:07
You know, it's it's it's similar to the other challenges, right,
52:10
where it's like, you know, if it's the top of the second and
52:13
we're trying to figure out if the guy beat it out at first,
52:16
like and there's two outs, there's nobody on like I'm not
52:19
willing to risk my challenge for that, you know, So I think
52:22
there's there's some added element to it that I like the
52:26
massive cheers in stadiums from from fans already over it.
52:31
I think this is this is good. The element of the lot of the
52:35
live experience is really cool. I I saw some tweets about that,
52:39
about people being like in person.
52:41
This seems to be a pretty like. Everyone keeps a glued on it.
52:45
Yeah, like it's a unifying experience regardless what, you
52:49
know, what side you're pulling for.
52:51
You're you're you're locked in and hoping for the best for your
52:54
team, which I think is, you know, kind of cool.
52:56
And what Nate, we saw that, I mean, we haven't been to games
52:59
this season where it really had much of an impact.
53:02
But like the All Star game last year, we saw that rolled out and
53:07
we got a little bit of a taste of, you know, how dialed people
53:10
can get, even if like a pitch before that, you're just you're
53:14
off in La La land. But once you see that thing pop
53:17
up on the screen, it's like, oh shoot, it's about to get real,
53:19
about to figure something out here.
53:20
I don't think they were. I don't remember them announcing
53:23
it. I don't remember the like the
53:26
home plate umpire at the All Star game.
53:29
Yeah, maybe not. Because I, I remember it like
53:32
kind of flashing up on the screen and you're like, oh, wow,
53:34
they're challenging. And, you know, it wasn't saying,
53:37
hey, it's Sands were overturned or whatever.
53:39
So yeah, I like that aspect to it as well.
53:42
I like that the home plate umpire announces it and there's
53:45
at least a second and there's the countdown of the 321.
53:49
All of it's been really good. I like it.
53:55
Do you like the Shohei Otani souvenir cup saga?
54:02
Dear Lord, man. As we sort of wrap up our our
54:06
thoughts here on opening weekend, let's close with that
54:08
the. Only in LA.
54:10
If you have no idea what we're talking about, apparently, which
54:14
it spread like a wildfire. Like I saw it all over the I saw
54:17
it once and then I I couldn't not see it after it was
54:20
announced. But over the weekend, it was
54:23
revealed that the Los Angeles Dodgers we're selling a Shohei
54:31
Otani souvenir concession cup that was priced at $75.
54:41
And you're probably thinking, oh, that was it.
54:43
Probably included free refills for the whole season like it
54:46
would have to. Nope, Nope.
54:48
Just the day of purchase one game.
54:51
And then we find out quite literally overnight that they've
54:55
rolled that decision back and have now reduced the price to a
55:00
fan friendly 6899. But have since also revised it
55:10
to being free refills for the whole season.
55:12
Which I guess is slightly better, but not still not great
55:15
when you consider that a cup of coke is maybe 2 1/2 cents.
55:20
Yeah, I don't know. I I would get my moneys worth I
55:23
think. Ohh, no doubt, no putting.
55:25
On Coke or Pepsi, you know you. Gotta take a cup to the game.
55:29
Yeah, that aspects weird. I think that's weird.
55:32
I'm not wild about it, but you know, if I'm saving because, I
55:35
mean, those souvenir cups now are like 12 bucks a pop.
55:38
So I mean, if I'm saving that, I mean, yeah, it's if I'm not.
55:40
Season tickets, I'm getting that cup.
55:42
Oh yeah, I mean, it's by the way, it's a sick cop.
55:45
Like it, it's got like a jersey on like it, it looks pretty
55:48
sick. I, I mean, I would buy it if it
55:50
was priced for, you know, regular human beings and not the
55:55
elitist aliens, but I, I, I would get it because it's sick.
56:00
And I would have written now I would have free refills all
56:03
season, but that initial decision for 75 plus tax and
56:07
only free refills for the the day of purchase.
56:09
That's crazy. Yeah, I I think you'd have to
56:13
have, I mean, what's the standard soda 8 bucks that
56:19
again, you know what I mean? You'd have to have 5 or 6
56:21
refills. I'm not getting up from my seat
56:24
5 or 6 times for so much hammering.
56:28
Exactly 40 ounces of soda over and over and over.
56:32
Somebody I saw somebody said, they said you could get your
56:35
money's worth, but you'd have to go get your kidneys tested after
56:38
the game and you might not even make it because you'd be dead,
56:41
but you could get your money's worth in one game.
56:43
But yeah, that was, that was an insane, insane decision.
56:46
And honestly, the more I thought about it, I'm like, I think that
56:48
was a not, well, not that the Dodgers needed it because it's
56:52
the Dodgers. And I'm sure that would have
56:53
gone viral regardless if it was priced crazily or not.
56:57
But I, I wonder if that was intentionally done, if that was
57:00
like a little bit of APR stunt where it's like we're going to
57:03
roll this cup out for $75 and only make it for day of purchase
57:07
for refills and then we're going to roll it back immediately.
57:09
I, I don't know, it just seemed to, I was like, it seems seems
57:13
like this was planned because nobody in their right mind would
57:15
do that. But that's the Dodgers for you.
57:18
And again, to all the people that are like, well, they have
57:20
to pay for his contract somehow. They already did that last year.
57:23
Like this has been known. They don't need to make up his
57:27
contract. It's already been done.
57:29
It was there any numbers on how many of those cups they sold
57:31
they won? I don't know, but I'm I'm, I'm
57:35
pointing and laughing at you after, after opening day.
57:39
If I see you with one of those pre pre, you know, change to the
57:44
policy. If I see you going for that cup
57:48
for day of refills, I'm pointing and laughing.
57:51
Speaking of Dodgers, I don't know if if I'm a victim of false
57:59
news. Probably if you're not on
58:02
TikTok. I've seen it in multiple places.
58:05
Are they changing the name of the?
58:07
State Oh no, that's legit. That's real.
58:10
It's I don't remember what the sponsor is, but it's sponsor
58:13
whatever you yeah, it's Uboki Hokey.
58:16
It's hokey, It's hokey pokey field at Dodger Stadium.
58:23
That's real. They they did a sign unveiled.
58:27
They did, yeah, yeah. They had it covered up in a, in
58:30
a, you know, sheet or whatever and they dropped it and it's,
58:32
it's Hokey Pokey Field at Dodger Stadium.
58:36
Did I? Is it a Japanese based company?
58:38
I think so, yeah, because I think the, I think it's got the
58:43
Japanese, you know, symbols, language writing on there on the
58:48
sign. So yeah, I mean, smart business
58:51
move. I get it.
58:52
Yeah, good for them. It's still a Dodger Stadium
58:54
like. They've been trying to get
58:58
ahead, so I don't. Know yeah I mean they're just
59:01
trying to get a you know, earn a dollar Yep yeah, the the honest
59:05
way. That's right.
59:06
I don't like it. I don't like it.
59:09
They're down. That's only down to like I saw
59:13
there's what, 5 five, it's probably that are still being
59:19
called. It's probably going to take
59:20
their their revenue ranking from 1:00 to 1:00 at least.
59:24
That's a great point, JV. That's a great point, yeah.
59:29
They're really shooting up the leaderboard.
59:33
Well, after the CBA, you know they're going to need to other
59:37
streams of income since they've been getting away with what
59:42
they've been getting away with. Hey, it's within the, it's
59:45
within the law. I mean, we're at it's Yankee
59:48
Stadium, Fenway, Wrigley. Well, I mean, even Wrigley, you
59:53
could make the argument as like, technically, I mean, I, I,
59:56
you're right, though. I mean, I'm not, I'm just a
59:58
devil's advocate, but. It's just the original.
1:00:02
What else we missing? I don't know, I know it doesn't
1:00:09
count, but PNC Park has been PNC Park since it opened, right?
1:00:13
Yeah, but they have to renew that.
1:00:14
I mean, they had to do that a couple years ago.
1:00:17
I'd. Hate to see that change.
1:00:19
The same with like Coors Field has been Coors Field forever,
1:00:22
but that doesn't. Yeah.
1:00:24
I mean, they're still, it's still like they, they just
1:00:26
signed a 20 year deal with PNC so.
1:00:30
Yeah, but we're seeing these not just baseball, we're seeing
1:00:33
teams across sports. They they sign these insanely
1:00:36
long deals and then five years into it, they're just like that.
1:00:39
Now we're we're pulling the plug.
1:00:41
And I think it happened in football, didn't it, Nate?
1:00:42
Like somewhat recently? Broncos.
1:00:45
Was it the Broncos? Yeah.
1:00:46
The Yeah. It was.
1:00:48
Sports Authority. Yeah, Sports Authority Field.
1:00:51
Then it was Invesco, then Sports Authority Field, Now it's.
1:00:54
I don't know, I could still call it Mile High, but.
1:00:57
Do they do the at Mile High though still?
1:00:59
Yeah, that's what I think. And I, I think like anyone, it's
1:01:02
just annoying to hear. I think I don't like hearing it
1:01:04
on TV. That's what bugs me the most is
1:01:07
that when they read it off because they have to, it's just
1:01:11
like, I'd, I'd rather you got to do what you got to do.
1:01:14
I'm not I'm not putting Mile High Stadium on the same caliber
1:01:18
as some of these, you know, iconic 100 year old names.
1:01:22
But yeah, this is. What it is just?
1:01:27
Keep raking it in dude. Nothing can be sacred anymore.
1:01:32
Yeah. But it's a business, all right.
1:01:35
That's all I really got in terms opening weekend thoughts.
1:01:39
You guys got anything else? No.
1:01:44
Do you want to now you and you want to announce the good news?
1:01:48
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I was going to start
1:01:50
with it, but something some we're really excited about this
1:01:53
year. I think I won't speak for you
1:01:54
guys, but I'm I feel like I'm more excited about this than
1:01:57
anything. I've been been a long time with
1:01:59
this broadcast, but we're we're. Rolling out This will be This
1:02:06
will be the Last Sunday podcast of the year.
1:02:09
Last Sunday, Podcast of the year.
1:02:12
Well, I don't want. To of the season.
1:02:15
I don't want to, I don't want to.
1:02:18
I don't want to say never like I mean.
1:02:19
Leave the door open to change your mind whenever you want.
1:02:22
Yeah. I mean, maybe we got to come in
1:02:23
with an emergency pod on a on a Sunday.
1:02:26
No, but we're rolling out this thing that we're calling Sunday
1:02:29
Clubhouse. It's going to take place of our
1:02:33
or it's going to replace our Sunday podcast and it's going to
1:02:39
be something we're going to do every Sunday starting the the
1:02:42
Sunday after Easter. So what day did we just what day
1:02:46
did we say that is? Is that the 11th?
1:02:48
April 12th, 12th. April 12th.
1:02:53
We're going to be starting that Sunday, right?
1:02:59
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's April.
1:03:00
Easter. Is this coming Saturday?
1:03:01
Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK.
1:03:02
April 12th we're going to be going live for an hour maybe to
1:03:06
where the boys just hop on and it's going to be like a pseudo
1:03:10
podcast, but it's going to be a very like low pressure, low, you
1:03:15
know, low stakes kind of thing. We're just going to get on here
1:03:18
like we do for a lot of our live streams where we just get on
1:03:21
here, we talk ball. We'll have so I mean sort of
1:03:24
like we we all do now we'll have the game, the afternoon games
1:03:27
going on because there's always going to be, you know, afternoon
1:03:30
baseball on a on A and even Sunday.
1:03:34
So we're going to have our have the games on.
1:03:36
We're going to be talking about what's happening in in said
1:03:39
games. We're going to be catching up on
1:03:42
some things that happened over the weekend or even dating back
1:03:45
to, you know, the the midweek podcast that we're going to do
1:03:48
sort of recap any, any big things that happen there.
1:03:51
So you're, we're still going to have, you know, thoughts and
1:03:54
reactions to big things that happened over, over the, the
1:03:57
previous days. But we also another element that
1:04:01
I think we're excited about is that I'm planning to, and I'm
1:04:05
hoping this works out 'cause I, I think this could be really
1:04:07
cool. We're planning on utilizing that
1:04:10
as a time to invite some special guest on just people around the,
1:04:14
you know, around the sport, around the industry that it'll,
1:04:17
it, it won't feel like a, an interview.
1:04:20
It'll just be kind of like a come hang out kind of thing.
1:04:23
Like we're literally just watching ball, talking ball and
1:04:27
and hanging out with with some people from around the league
1:04:30
that we've been wanting to get on here.
1:04:33
But we just didn't know how how it would work with like an
1:04:36
interview or whatever. But like I said, that's going to
1:04:38
be very low stakes kind of thing.
1:04:41
We're just going to it's going to be super chill.
1:04:44
So make plans to come hang out with us live on Sunday
1:04:47
afternoons. I think for now we're shooting
1:04:50
for. 2 Eastern I think, right? Yeah, 11 Pacific, 2 Eastern and
1:04:57
I'm really yeah I'm really excited about it's going to be
1:04:59
it's going to be very low pressure.
1:05:01
It's going to make my life easier as we we welcome in this
1:05:06
this new this new baby Corwin coming coming in May shout him
1:05:13
out. So that'll be that'll be good
1:05:17
for me. Maybe he'll.
1:05:19
Have a guest appearance. Maybe he'll have a guest
1:05:21
appearance. Yeah.
1:05:23
So yeah, like I said, it's it's taking place now taking the
1:05:27
place of our Sunday podcast recordings.
1:05:30
So don't feel like you got to be looking out for that.
1:05:34
But I think the plan, while I'm thinking of it, I think the plan
1:05:38
is to have this be have it be a live thing, but then we're going
1:05:42
to push it. If you miss it, we're going to
1:05:45
be sharing these to our Patreon, which Nate real quick give it.
1:05:49
Give a quick update with where we're at on on Patreon for this
1:05:53
particular weekend. You guys, well, I mean, it's
1:05:57
probably the giveaway is over at this point.
1:05:59
If you're listening to this after Sunday, but Patreon, look,
1:06:04
it's, it's just our home. It's our home.
1:06:07
You get extra bonus content in there.
1:06:09
We're going to be doing stuff all throughout the year to, to
1:06:12
be able to add that stuff in and, and it's, you know, it's
1:06:17
less than a cup of coffee to support us and in what we're
1:06:20
doing and give us the opportunity to continue to, you
1:06:22
know, just pour back into you guys, pour back into our
1:06:24
community. You know, everything that we
1:06:29
have is because of your support and, and your consistency and
1:06:32
listening and, and reaching out to us.
1:06:34
So that that's the whole goal with this right, is to, you
1:06:37
know, have come hang out with us.
1:06:39
We're going to interact with you during the clubhouse stuff.
1:06:42
And then just, you know, the Patreon allows you to see like
1:06:47
a, another angle of, of what we do and who we are.
1:06:50
And if you like us, you know, and you want to support us,
1:06:54
we'd, we'd appreciate it. So patrons are home for that.
1:06:59
Did you mention it's a dollar? I well, that's what I was going
1:07:03
to say. It's currently a dollar, but if
1:07:05
you're listening to this, you know, on Monday or Tuesday, you,
1:07:08
I think you missed your window. So if you're, are you rolling
1:07:12
this out right away as soon as this uploads or you're just
1:07:14
going to post? It yeah, I think I might.
1:07:16
So I mean. If you're if you're if you're
1:07:19
if. You're an overachiever.
1:07:20
Yeah, you're an overachiever. And you're listening to it right
1:07:24
away. And you're not on our Patreon.
1:07:25
You might still have a chance to snag that first month for a
1:07:28
dollar. Yeah, and an opportunity to win
1:07:30
a giveaway that which we'll be announcing at some point tonight
1:07:33
or maybe tomorrow with the Backyard Sports in Chinook.
1:07:38
So any who's? Yeah, really excited about it.
1:07:43
Still going to have our normal Wednesday is going to be the
1:07:45
normal episode. You know, nothing's really going
1:07:47
to change. Probably going to post Thursday
1:07:50
morning, but you guys are going to get an opportunity to kind of
1:07:54
get both sides of it, right? It's it's the hangout.
1:07:57
And then it's also our normal episode stuff where we're doing
1:08:00
stuff like we did today. Can't wait.
1:08:03
Yeah, yeah. So mark your calendars.
1:08:05
It's what I say. April 12th, that'll be the first
1:08:09
one. Just remember it'll be the first
1:08:10
Sunday after Easter won't obviously won't be doing
1:08:12
anything then because everybody be with their families,
1:08:14
including us, I believe. But that first Sunday after,
1:08:19
after Easter is when we'll be launching this thing.
1:08:22
And as I said, really excited. So make, make plans to to join
1:08:27
us. And it'll be great too, because
1:08:28
it'll be it'll be a real easy pop in, pop out kind of thing.
1:08:30
You don't feel like you got to. It's not like we're live
1:08:33
streaming a particular game or anything.
1:08:37
It's it's going to be real, real laid back and and like I said,
1:08:40
if you, if you don't catch it live, you'll in and you want to
1:08:44
join the Patreon, we'll I'll plan to upload it there.
1:08:48
So we're looking forward to it and hopefully you guys can join
1:08:51
us. Ye ye.
1:08:55
That's all I got. That's it.
1:08:58
Good stuff. Unless you guys got anything
1:09:00
else? Opening weekend in the books JB
1:09:03
over to you we're. Still in a work in progress
1:09:07
here, aren't we? It's on.
1:09:09
It's up to you, man. It's whatever.
1:09:11
You, you just, you come up with something you enjoy that you're
1:09:15
comfortable with and we'll go with it.
1:09:17
There's no timetable. Well, the baseball season is
1:09:20
going, so there's probably no better time than opening weekend
1:09:24
anyway to say go baseball. Love it all year long baby.
1:09:29
Refuse to do it. Don't go chasing curveballs.
1:09:33
Love you and as always, looking forward to talking more baseball
1:09:35
with you guys soon. Until next time, stay filthy.